xcrawl-api/xcrawl-skills/xcrawl

XCrawl

Overview

This skill is the default XCrawl entry point when the user asks for XCrawl directly without naming a specific API or sub-skill. It currently targets single-page extraction through XCrawl Scrape APIs. Default behavior is raw passthrough: return upstream API response bodies as-is.

Routing Guidance

• If the user wants to extract one or more specific URLs, use this skill and default to XCrawl Scrape.
• If the user wants site URL discovery, prefer XCrawl Map APIs.
• If the user wants multi-page or site-wide crawling, prefer XCrawl Crawl APIs.
• If the user wants keyword-based discovery, prefer XCrawl Search APIs.

Required Local Config

Before using this skill, the user must create a local config file and write XCRAWL_API_KEY into it.

Path: ~/.xcrawl/config.json

{
  "XCRAWL_API_KEY": "<your_api_key>"
}

Read API key from local config file only. Do not require global environment variables.

Credits and Account Setup

Using XCrawl APIs consumes credits. If the user does not have an account or available credits, guide them to register at https://dash.xcrawl.com/. After registration, they can activate the free 1000 credits plan before running requests.

Tool Permission Policy

Request runtime permissions for curl and node only. Do not request Python, shell helper scripts, or other runtime permissions.

API Surface

• Start scrape: POST /v1/scrape
• Read async result: GET /v1/scrape/{scrape_id}
• Base URL: https://run.xcrawl.com
• Required header: Authorization: Bearer <XCRAWL_API_KEY>

Usage Examples

cURL (sync)

API_KEY="$(node -e "const fs=require('fs');const p=process.env.HOME+'/.xcrawl/config.json';const k=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(p,'utf8')).XCRAWL_API_KEY||'';process.stdout.write(k)")"
 
curl -sS -X POST "https://run.xcrawl.com/v1/scrape" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_KEY}" \
  -d '{"url":"https://example.com","mode":"sync","output":{"formats":["markdown","links"]}}'

cURL (async create + result)

API_KEY="$(node -e "const fs=require('fs');const p=process.env.HOME+'/.xcrawl/config.json';const k=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(p,'utf8')).XCRAWL_API_KEY||'';process.stdout.write(k)")"
 
CREATE_RESP="$(curl -sS -X POST "https://run.xcrawl.com/v1/scrape" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_KEY}" \
  -d '{"url":"https://example.com/product/1","mode":"async","output":{"formats":["json"]},"json":{"prompt":"Extract title and price."}}')"
 
echo "$CREATE_RESP"
 
SCRAPE_ID="$(node -e 'const s=process.argv[1];const j=JSON.parse(s);process.stdout.write(j.scrape_id||"")' "$CREATE_RESP")"
 
curl -sS -X GET "https://run.xcrawl.com/v1/scrape/${SCRAPE_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_KEY}"

Node

node -e '
const fs=require("fs");
const apiKey=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(process.env.HOME+"/.xcrawl/config.json","utf8")).XCRAWL_API_KEY;
const body={url:"https://example.com",mode:"sync",output:{formats:["markdown","json"]},json:{prompt:"Extract title and publish date."}};
fetch("https://run.xcrawl.com/v1/scrape",{
  method:"POST",
  headers:{"Content-Type":"application/json",Authorization:`Bearer ${apiKey}`},
  body:JSON.stringify(body)
}).then(async r=>{console.log(await r.text());});
'

Request Parameters

Request endpoint and headers

• Endpoint: POST https://run.xcrawl.com/v1/scrape
• Headers:
• Content-Type: application/json
• Authorization: Bearer <api_key>

Request body: top-level fields

proxy

request

js_render

output

output.formats enum:

• html
• raw_html
• markdown
• links
• summary
• screenshot
• json

webhook

Response Parameters

Sync create response (mode=sync)

data fields (based on output.formats):

• html, raw_html, markdown, links, summary, screenshot, json
• metadata (page metadata)
• traffic_bytes
• credits_used
• credits_detail

credits_detail fields:

Async create response (mode=async)

Async result response (GET /v1/scrape/{scrape_id})

Workflow

1. Classify the request through the default XCrawl entry behavior.

• If the user provides specific URLs for extraction, default to XCrawl Scrape.
• If the user clearly asks for map, crawl, or search behavior, route to the dedicated XCrawl API instead of pretending this endpoint covers it.

1. Restate the user goal as an extraction contract.

• URL scope, required fields, accepted nulls, and precision expectations.

1. Build the scrape request body.

• Keep only necessary options.
• Prefer explicit output.formats.

1. Execute scrape and capture task metadata.

• Track scrape_id, status, and timestamps.
• If async, poll until completed or failed.

1. Return raw API responses directly.

• Do not synthesize or compress fields by default.

Output Contract

Return:

• Endpoint(s) used and mode (sync or async)
• request_payload used for the request
• Raw response body from each API call
• Error details when request fails

Do not generate summaries unless the user explicitly requests a summary.

Guardrails

• Do not present XCrawl Scrape as if it also covers map, crawl, or search semantics.
• Default to scrape only when user intent is URL extraction.
• Do not invent unsupported output fields.
• Do not hardcode provider-specific tool schemas in core logic.
• Call out uncertainty when page structure is unstable.